This invention relates generally to a picnic cooler container and specifically to a new and novel container package which may be used to carry a plurality of multiple articles and to then retain a bulk quantity of ice on top of the multiple articles.
During the hot summers, it is desirable to have a quantity of iced beverages such as soda or beer available for use as desired. Normally the purchaser of these beverages would purchase a standard quantity of the beverages at a local store and would then transfer the beverages to a typical ice chest of the type commonly used today. Thereafter the consumer would purchase a quantity of bulk ice and place on top of the cans of beverage for later use.
It is also known to provide paperboard containers which are capable of handling a predetermined amounts of bulk ice to ice various products packaged within the container. For example, in the U.S. Pat. No. 2,467,268, issued Apr. 12, 1949 to G. Merkle, there is taught a corrugated shipping container designed for shipping fish, oysters, clams and other thermal sensitive products using dry ice as a refrigerating medium. This package uses separate refrigerant chambers for containing the dry ice as shown in FIG. 2 of the drawing.
There is also provided in prior art containers, packages which are capable of receiving a bulk quantity of ice which is positioned above the material to be cooled. Typical patents showing these types of containers are the U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,915,235, issued Dec. 1, 1959 to D. E. Rueckert; 2,989,176, issued June 20, 1961 to C. S. Hasselhoff and 3,196,021, issued July 20, 1965 to R. E. Oas, et al. Each of these patents teaches a container which allows the icing on the tops of cans or other products with the containers generally being standard known types of refrigerating containers having at least a top lid and possibly a bottom lid.
There is also taught other specialty types of containers which are designed for packaging of products with the storage of ice above the products has shown in the U.S. Pat. No. 3,462,010, issued Aug. 19, 1969 to J. P. Hamilton, et al. This patent teaches a package combination using a transparent film-like bag, sleeve or wrapper for securing the multiple articles against shifting and for containing the quantity of bulk ice above the containers as shown in FIG. 13 of the drawing.
It is known also in the art to provide portable beverage coolers constructed of water-resistant paperboard and which are capable of being used with a quantity of bulk ice. Such a cooler is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,511,429, issued May 12, 1970 to J. A. Brian. It is also known in the art to provide reusable collapsible shipping containers which may be quickly set up and loaded through the ends of the container. Such a container is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,094,458, issued June 13, 1978 to B. C. Nelson, Jr. While each of the before mentioned prior art type containers may have functioned for the desired purpose intended, it will become clear from a review of the foregoing specification that none of the containers may be utilized in the new and novel manner of the Applicant's container.